1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to harvesting or crop gathering equipment and in particular to a row crop feeding system for combines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Crop harvesting equipment includes combines and similar implements which, upon moving through fields being harvested, gather the crops by cutting their stalks relatively low and guiding the severed plant portions into the implements for further processing. Sickle bars extending transversely to the path of movement are commonly employed in combines for severing the crop stalks relatively close to the ground. The width of the sickle bar generally defines the swath width.
A variety of mechanisms have heretofore been employed on combines for guiding the crop plants into the sickle bars. A combine header generally includes a cutting mechanism (e.g. a sickle bar) and some type of crop feeding mechanism. For example, the Gray et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,836,026 discloses multiple vertical cylinder attachments for row crop headers with finger rods for guiding the crops to a cutter bar. Endless, intermeshing slat conveyors in a row crop gatherer are disclosed in the Bevel U.S. Pat. No. 3,035,387. Guide belts for guiding crops separated by floating snouts are disclosed in the Dean et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,612.
Combine headers have also been equipped with reels comprising horizontal, cylindrical rotating assemblies positioned over sickles for guiding crops rearwardly.
Many previous combine headers experienced significant crop loss problems in operation. Such losses were often attributable to "sickle shatter" which occurred when impact from the combine header caused crop portions (e.g. soybeans) to dislodge from the harvested plants and hence be wasted. The operation of combine header reels tended to contribute to such losses because they operated by striking crops from above whereby they were pushed downwardly and rearwardly to the cutting mechanism. Such crop losses tended to be especially problematical with soybeans, milo and similar crops.
Previous crop feeding systems suffered from other disadvantages, including maintenance problems associated with their drive mechanisms, which often comprised complicated belt and/or gear-and-sprocket mechanisms.
The present invention addresses the aforementioned problems with previous crop feeding systems.